Chapter 574

Elyse made a spectacle on set, snatching up a megaphone and disrupting the shoot with a loud commotion.

"Gather around, everyone! See for yourselves! The so-called big star! Ignoring her aging mother,leaving me to rot in a tiny apartment! Look at her, Nina Dury,leaving her own mother in a dingy rental, waiting to die."

Her voice was loud enough to attract a crowd.

It was like she had finally found the perfect stage for her performance.

"Take a good look at her! Is this what a real star looks like? Celebrities are supposed to be role models, yet she tossed her own mother aside. How can someone like her even call herself a public figure?"

Elyse stirred up chaos, showing no concern for the fragile career Nina was just beginning to establish.

Nina stood off to the side, her gaze icy as she silently observed the scene.

Elyse turned to the reporters, throwing out accusations. "I was a single mother! I struggled to raise Nina on my own! I adored her! Every single outfit she wore as a child-I made them with my own hands!"

Nina let out a quiet scoff, her thoughts dripping with sarcasm. Her clothes had been made from the scraps left over after making Natalie's clothes.

"I was always there! I never missed a single parent-teacher meeting, no matter what!"

Of course, she never missed Natalie's meetings.But when it came to Nina, she had skipped her biggest dance competition. The day Nina won her award,she stood on stage, scanning the crowd for a familiar face-there was none.

Elyse went on, "I kept a close eye on her studies, made sure she excelled, and even sent her abroad for higher education! Look at her now-Nina Dury, an outstanding success!"

The truth was, Nina had been accepted into a prestigious university overseas, but Elyse refused to let her go because there was only enough money to send one child abroad. Once again, she was the one who had to stay behind,forgotten.

Outstanding?Really?

How could anyone who spent their childhood overlooked and unwanted be called outstanding?

Every time Nina stood next to Natalie, she felt like she was shrinking into the background.

It was a gnawing, deep-rooted inferiority complex that never faded.

That day, the set was swarming with reporters.

The production team had planned to use this moment to elevate Nina's reputation, but Elyse had single-handedly torn that plan to shreds. For a rookie actress with no major projects under her belt, this kind of controversy could end her career before it even started.

Nina stayed silent, watching as the director dialed Daniela's number.

"Ms. Harper, I take the quality of my scenes and my actors very seriously. I know Nina isn't the ungrateful person that lunatic is making her out to be, but the public doesn't know that. Outsiders don't see the truth. This drama isn't just for me-it's for an audience, and perception matters. I understand you're not concerned about money, but asa director,my reputation is on the line. This situation is spiraling. The entertainment news has already picked it up, and that woman has given multiple interviews.Who knows what kind of outrageous claims she'll make next? She's not just here to stir trouble-she's here to destroy Nina. And the worst part? If these accusations came from anyone else, people might doubt them. But because they're coming from her own mother, everyone assumes they're true." After all, Elyse painted herself as the devoted mother who had always cared for Nina. But those were events buried in the past-who could prove otherwise now?

How could Nina fight against memories rewritten by lies?

She was trapped.

"Ms. Harper, how do you suggest we handle this?The flood of reporters has completely disrupted filming. Can you step in for now? I think we should replace Nina."

The director ended the call and turned, locking eyes with Nina.

He approached her with a heavy sigh. "Nina, I have to think about the bigger picture. I hope you understand."

Nina gave a small nod. She understood all too well.No one wanted to be entangled in a mess like this.She hated that thiswas her reality. With her gaze lowered, she prepared to leave. But before she could, Cormac stepped forward. "Nina."

She turned to face him.

"Don't let it get to you."

She gave him a slight nod. "Thank you."

She climbed into the car, and through the window,she caught sight of Cormac striding towards the director.

A few moments later, the director was gesturing wildly,his face red with frustration.

Nina returned home and went straight to Daniela.

"Nina, don't stress over this. I'll take care of it,"Daniela assured her.

Nina shook her head, her voice firm. "No, Daniela.Let me handle it myself."

Daniela studied her, surprised.

Nina explained, "My whole life,I've drifted without direction, without goals. I've always gone along with whatever, never caring much. And that became my identity. But not this time. This time, I want to achieve something' on my own. Daniela, you've already shined a spotlight on me-let me take it from here."

Daniela nodded in understanding. In adulthood,some battles had to be fought alone.

But she never expected Nina's response to be so drastic.

Nina exposed everything-the full extent of her suffering.

How Elyse and Natalie had orchestrated a scheme to lure her into a hotel to sleep with Linden, so he could get rid of Daniela.

How, on her wedding day, she had been ambushed,dragged into an abandoned warehouse by more than a dozen men.

She called a press conference and, standing before flashing cameras, shrugged off her coat-revealing the scars that covered her body.

Staring into the cameras, she spoke with tears. "I still don't understand. Why wouldn't a mother love her own child? Why would she go so far as to set me up?"

Nina's voice trembled. "I have no one-no safety net,no one to catch me when I fall. I've been fighting alone for so long that I don't even know if my existence matters. I've always been cast aside,discarded, until Daniela came into my life. She carried her own scars, yet she still reached for me.She showed me what it means to be cared for. Her husband, Cedric, told me I was part of their family.I think I'll remember those words for the rest of my life.Because no one has ever made me feel like I belonged before. Today, I'm speaking out because l refuse to stay silent any longer. I want the world to see the truth-that the loving mother image Elyse Dury has so carefully crafted is nothing but a lie."